


if i asked you to stay

by Smalls



Series: a tale of a love from long ago [3]
Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hadestown Fusion, Brief Jealousy, Falling In Love, Implied Sexual Content, Insecurity, M/M, Mutual Pining, like blink and you'll miss it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-19
Updated: 2020-08-19
Packaged: 2021-03-06 04:48:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,033
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25987708
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Smalls/pseuds/Smalls
Summary: He tries not to think about the few nights he doesn’t stay in Roman’s bed. Tries not to picture the faceless people who might take his place. Tries not to wonder if they would better suit Roman, if Roman would prefer someone else to share his bed. Someone who blushes, and smiles, and says all the right things all soft and sweet. Not some sharp-tongued bundle of anxiety, watching the sky for the gathering storm and ready to run.***in which Virgil might have to finally confront some feelings
Relationships: Anxiety | Virgil Sanders/Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders
Series: a tale of a love from long ago [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1884454
Comments: 9
Kudos: 54





	if i asked you to stay

Virgil sits in what has become “his spot” at the back of the bar. He sips his drink and watches Roman play. The madman sings like a lark, as though he was touched by the gods, and it’s no wonder that the people around here call him Orpheus. Virgil idly wonders if that makes him Eurydice.

He snorts at the idea and shakes his head. Gods, he hopes not. Eurydice got left behind and Virgil plans to _never_ put that much foolish trust in a man. Not even a beautiful poet like Roman.

So instead he drinks and watches Roman play and almost manages not to flinch when Thomas takes a seat at his table.

“Enjoying the song?” Virgil nods in a dismissive kind of way, keeping his eyes on Roman, and Thomas smiles. “Your boy is quite the performer.”

“Okay, why does everyone insist on calling him ‘mine’?” Virgil snaps, more defensive than angry. Perhaps he should show Thomas a little more respect. After all, he’s still a god, though he rarely claims the title. Thankfully, Thomas only laughs at his outburst.

“Because you spend nearly as much time staring at Roman as he does at you. When you’re not glaring at his admirers, that is. Trust me, I know a jealous man when I see one.”

“I’m not jealous,” Virgil protests, crossing his arms and looking away. “Roman is his own man. He can flirt and smile and sleep with whoever he wants. I don’t care.”

“You really think that boy would look at anyone else?” Thomas gave him a disapproving look. “As if that boy isn’t completely gone on you in every possible way.” 

Virgil shrugs. He tries not to think about the few nights he doesn’t stay in Roman’s bed. Tries not to picture the faceless people who might take his place. Tries not to wonder if they would better suit Roman, if _Roman_ would prefer someone else to share his bed. Someone who blushes, and smiles, and says all the right things all soft and sweet. Not some sharp-tongued bundle of anxiety, watching the sky for the gathering storm and ready to run.

Thomas tuts as if he can see Virgil’s thoughts.

“You wouldn’t have to worry so much if you just told him how you felt.” Virgil shakes his head.

“There’s nothing to say.”

“Virgil…”

“I’m not _her,_ alright?” he says firmly, and he knows by Thomas wince that he knows who Virgil means. “I know what the world is really like, and I’m not going to fall in love with a pretty face or a pretty song that can’t harbour me from the wind.”

“Do you really think Roman would leave you at its mercy?” Thomas asks carefully. “That boy would move heaven and earth —”

“And Orpheus walked through Hadestown for Eurydice!” Virgil interrupts with a hiss. “And he failed her. She couldn’t trust him in the end. Why would I trust Roman?”

“Because he makes you feel alive,” Thomas says softly. Virgil looks away from Thomas and back to Roman, who ends his song with a flourish.

“Alive _is_ worth a lot,” he admits. “But maybe, not enough.”

***

“You never ask me to stay.”

Roman opens one eye to look down at his beloved, curled up in his arms.

“I always want you to stay,” Roman says soft and unsure. Virgil shakes his head.

“But you let me leave every morning. You never ask me to stay.” Roman hesitates.

“Do you want to stay?” He tries to keep the hope out of his voice, with little success. Roman has always worn his heart on his sleeve. Virgil says nothing. 

“You don’t have to,” Roman says quickly, not wanting to scare off his love. “I just…you can. If you want to.”

“I’ve never stayed anywhere,” Virgil says, so softly Roman isn’t sure he was meant to hear. “I don’t know how to stay. All I’ve ever know is how to hold my own. But now…it’s different.”

“Different how?”

Virgil buries his head in Roman’s chest and says nothing. Roman hums and strokes his hair, waiting. When Virgil still says nothing, Roman hums.

“I don’t know how or why or who am I that I should get to hold you. But when I saw you all alone against the sky, it’s like I’d know you all along cause I knew you before we met.” Virgil laughs quietly.

“You don’t even know me yet,” he corrects. Roman shrugs.

“I’d like to, if you would let me.”

Virgil pulls back from Roman and Roman’s heart sinks. Then Virgil leans up and presses a gentle kiss to Roman’s lips. Roman’s heart is caught in his throat. Outside of sex, —Roman would call it lovemaking, Virgil calls it fucking so they've met in the middle—, Virgil has never kissed him. And even in the throes of passion, it's hard and biting, not soft and tender.

“All I’ve ever know is how to hold my own,” he breathes against Roman’s lips, “but now wanna hold you too.”

“Oh,” Roman with a little gasp. "That sounds okay."

Virgil kisses him again and Roman melts. Then Virgil moves and is suddenly atop Roman, straddling his hips and still kissing him. When he comes up for air, he gives Roman a look that is wild and pleading and vulnerable in equal parts.

“Say that you’ll hold me forever,” he says urgently. “Say that the wind won't change on us. Say that we'll stay with each other and it will always be like this.”

Roman wants to promise Virgil all those things. He wants to promise Virgil safety and shelter and comfort and the Spring herself. But he knows what Virgil _needs_ , and loves him too much for false promises anyways.

“I can’t promise you fair skies above, and I can’t promise you kind roads below. But I’ll walk beside you, my love. Anyway the wind blows.”

Virgil blinks down at him. Then he kisses him. Hard. Hands tangle in hair and bodies press close together.

“Ask me,” he says, _begs_ , in Roman’s ear, and Roman can do nothing but obey.

“Stay with me?” Roman whispers hopefully with his heart on his sleeve.

“ _Yes.”_

**Author's Note:**

> look you guys, i don't know where this story is going, okay? but feel free to leave a kudos or a comment and join me on this wild ride
> 
> thanks for reading :)
> 
> also, at some point i'll write something that's mostly from Roman's pov, just not today


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